Jams & Accompaniments

Spring is a wonderful time to explore seasonal varieties of artisan cheeses which aren't typically available year round, or hit the peak of perfection when paired with the flavors of the season. Nothing beats a classic grilled cheese or dunking a fresh baguette into a velvety bloomy rind, but here are a few of the ways we're branching out our cheese repertoire this Spring.

Breakfast

Melting a few slices of Gruyere into an omelet is sure to enhance the most important meal of the day, but citrusy, fluffy cheese like sheep milk Brebis or fresh chèvre are wonderful breakfast staples. Topped with fresh fruit, honey, preserves, or olive oil these cheeses are lower in fat while imparting the important protein, vitamins, calcium and minerals you need to start your day.

Salads

One of the best parts of Spring dining is the bounty of fresh, green vegetables. Sweet peas, asparagus, artichokes and ramps are all amazing when paired with the naturally grassy and lactic cheeses coming into season. A bright salad of shaved asparagus or celery drizzled with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper pairs perfectly with a grating of Etude from Andante Dairy. Try it over chilled Spring pea and ricotta ravioli for a bright yet filling pasta salad for warmer months.

Covered in Herbs

A large part of why artisan cheese is so delicious is that the farmers (who are oftentimes, also the cheesemakers) who care for the animals providing the milk truly care about their herd and the land they are raised on. Their lush surroundings, vibrant scenery and healthy diet imparts a signature herbal, grassy and earthy flavor into a lot of the fresh Spring cheeses you will find in our case this time of year. For that reason, cheese aged in a covering of herbs or whipped with fresh ones is such a harmonious combination. Most people are familiar with goat cheese coated in herbs like Dutch Girl Creamery's Chèvre Frais, but a unique offering like Pecorino Camomilla - coated in chamomile tea is a delightful addition to a Spring cheese plate.

Start 'Kidding' Around

Spring is known to the cheesemaking community as 'kidding season' - the time when baby goats are born and there is an abundance of fresh goat milk. You'll find that most goat cheese aren't aged for very long, due to their tendency to become a bit gamey after extensive aging. However you will find that a little bit of aging goes a long way with Julianna from Capriole Farms, aged for just 3-6 weeks in a light coating of herbs. For a mellow washed rind with a complex palate, try Baetje Farms' extremely seasonal Fleur de la Vallee - it's toasty, buttered bread paste is the perfect complement to crisp, refreshing lagers.

Paired with Wine

It's no surprise that pairing cheese with wine is one of our all time favorite ways to enjoy cheese. If you've been inside of one of our stores, you may have noticed that we arrange our wine wall to reflect to reflect the cheese in our case. That means that every bottle we source is a an ideal pairing for artisan cheese, and furthermore we keep them arranged from to light to heavy to make pairing them with subtle to more more complex cheeses much easier. Here's a small sampling of the wine pairings we're playing with this Spring:

Spritzy and fresh with notes of yellow apple and green pear with the slightest and most fascinating whisper of bubbles on the finish, this wine is Chicago summer in every sip. The ideal pairing for most wines in our cheese case but its magical with the Wabash Cannonball.

A bold and beautiful Rose that's mostly Grenache that's perfect for outdoor drinking all summer long. Strawberry and cherry fruits followed by a touch of spice make this an ideal match with Prairie Fruits Farms' Chèvre Frais.

A sunny interpretation of Pinot Gris with just the slightest touch of sweet on the finish. We've also enjoyed how easy it makes our life at the bar. This wine is EXTREMELY versatile in food pairing and quite refreshing on its own but we really really like it with Zingerman's Manchester.

We've unveiled a new selection of artisan bread offerings from local Alsatian-inspired bakery - La Fournette. Follow us here and on Facebook all week long as we tell you a little bit about each of the breads we'll be carrying from World Champion Baker, Pierre Zimmermann.

Bretzel

Bretzel is a typical Alsation treat based on the folklore that a king once asked a baker to bake for him a treat where he could see the sun 3 times through it – and thus the Bretzel was born. Soft and chewy with a briny, sea salt crust. Loaded up with our housemade Pimento Cheese or smeared with American Spoon Pickled Mustard Seed, it's the perfect savory snack.

Quince & Applesmall batch preserves are a husband and wife duo making hand-crafted artisan preserves late into the night in their tiny kitchen in Madison, Wisconsin. Matt and Clare Stoner-Fehsenfeld are committed to sourcing local fruits and ingredients with which to concoct their beautiful, not-too-sweet preserves.

They do everything themselves, and taste test every step of each batch, allowing them to incorporate and adjust for seasonality and varietal from batch to batch. Pastoral has enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Quince & Apple over the years, including savory sandwich bar favorites Shallot and Red Wine Confit and earthy Fig and Black Tea Jam.

We've unveiled a new selection of artisan bread offerings from local Alsatian-inspired bakery - La Fournette. Follow us here and on Facebook all week long as we tell you a little bit about each of the breads we'll be carrying from World Champion Baker, Pierre Zimmermann.

Cheese Bread

Made with Parmesan, Asiago and Comte, the trio of cheeses add a deliciously salty and complementary flavor to the dough while creating a beautifully golden, crisp crust on top. This baguette makes the perfect crouton to float atop a rich bowl of French onion soup – with even more cheese on top, of course!

Olive Fougasse

Fougasse is a traditional flatbread typically associated with the region of Provence. La Fournette crafts theirs with extra virgin olive oil and kalamata olives. The olives add a balanced saltiness, making this a perfect stand alone snack or as a companion to savory dips and spreads.

Pastoral is excited to announce a new line of artisan specialty breads to complement our delicious Cook Au Vin baguettes. In the search for the perfect products to grace our shelves, careful consideration is given to sourcing products that show a producer’s dedication to quality, sustainability, community support and authenticity.

La Fournette Bakery is certainly no exception to these standards. When master baker Pierre Zimmermann opened his French bakery and café in Chicago he was inspired by the 4 generations of expertise and craftsmanship that sustained the 110 year old Zimmermann’s bakery in Schnersheim, France.

At La Fournette, the Zimmermanns – with Pierre and his sons in the bakery and Michele directing Front of House operations – wish to recreate their family bakery in Alsace while making it uniquely Chicagoan.

Crusty, aromatic, and flavorful; the way bread is supposed to be, most La Fournette’s breads are made with natural sourdough starters, a slow process that results in superior flavor and texture. All of La Fournette’s products are made in their West Loop bakery which was designed to be energy efficient and operate with minimal waste.

The Zimmermanns spent years researching and planning before opening La Fournette to ensure their customers in Chicago would enjoy the same quality and small-town welcome that they did in Schnersheim; and now Pastoral is excited and proud to be bringing you some of the best breads from one of Chicago’s best bread makers.

Stay tuned in the coming days to learn more about the exciting and delicious breads that will be gracing Pastoral’s shelves.

Each Spring we host nearly 100 producers and vendors from around the world at Chicago French Market to celebrate the makers who make what we do possible. Pastoral's Artisan Producer Festival is in its 4th year, and we are very excited to announce this year's schedule of demonstrations, discussions and more. Not only is this an incredible opportunity to meet these talented local and international culinary artisans and taste their products; there's a chance to learn about them and what they do and (thanks to the generosity of our sponsors) - it's FREE!

Check out this incredible lineup of artisan producer presentations, culinary demonstrations and discussions:

2:30-2:40

We hope you will join us for Pastoral's 4th Annual Artisan Producer Festival, featuring the incredible demonstrations and panels above, plus tons of tasting, meeting and fun - all FREE to the public. Find out more about Pastoral's Artisan Producer Festival HERE

Picnic Pairing:Continental Picnic - A great European-inspired picnic that includes firmer cheeses, single-varietal honey and hand-made salumi.Wine Pairing: Pittnauer Burgenlander Rot - This versatile Austrian take on Pinot Noir is light enough for summer sipping, and comes in a 1L bottle!

2. Movies in the Park

Why: Check out this great schedule for free public screenings of popular movies at parks all around the city. It's a great way to check out different neighborhoods and there's movies for all tastes, (we're particularly excited about The Goonies and Ghostbusters). It's a great way to celebrate popular culture en plein air!

Picnic Pairing:Sweet and Savory - Just like the movies, you'll get a selection of sweet and salty snacks to much on during the show!Wine Pairing: Alva - It's light and spritzy and goes with popcorn and chocolate just as well as any cheese..

3. On the boulevards

Why: Chicago adopted the motto Urbs in Horto, which means City in a Garden in 1837. In order to beautify the city for its growing population, the system of the Grand Boulevards was conceived. To this day, the broad, tree-lined Boulevards encase the city to the North, South and West, providing diverse neighborhoods with green space right outside their front door!

Picnic Pairing:Locavore - It's all sourced from the Midwest, so it's perfect for a neighborhood get together.

Shady Lane Riesling - It tastes like sunshine. Seriously.

4. 57th Street Beach (5700 S. Lake Shore Drive)

Why: Located just south of the popular Promontory Park (which topped Steve Dolinsky's Picnic List) 57th Street Beach is clean and tends to be less crowded than many of its North Side counterparts. The beach is within walking distance of the Museum of Science and Industry. It's also adjacent to Jackson Park, which features fishing, golf, gardens and more, so you can make a day out of your trip after enjoying your picnic on the rocky lake shore!

Picnic Pairing:Tapas for Two - Inspired by the simple, satisfying cuisine of Spain, the beach is the perfect place to munch on roasted red peppers and briny olives.Beverage Pairing: Glass containers won't fly on Chicago Beaches, so make sure to bring a few delicious cans of San Pellegrino soda, available in our stores in Lemon, Orange, Blood Orange and Grapefruit flavors.

5. Oz Park (2021 N. Burling Street)

Why: Check out the statues in Lincoln Park's Wizard of Oz themed park and revisit one of the most popular stories of our time. Kids can play in Dorothy's Playlot, or you can stroll through the community flower garden to admire the colors and take a break from the monotony of city life.

Picnic Pairing:French Countryside - Heighten your sense of nostalgia with rustic French comfort food. Taste some Country Pate with a crunchy cornichon and you'll forget all about the Wicked Witch...

Our Continental Picnic ready to eat with some sparkling Rose and a few Go Vino cups so you can open container it in style! Oh yeah, and if you do bring wine to a public place, please be aware of park policies & be safe and mindful with your alcohol consumption.

All of Pastoral's picnics cost $39.99 and are built for two. They include napkins, plates, forks, knives and a full baguette, and are packed into a craft carrier. Pre-order online 24 hours in advance or call one of our stores to place your order 6 hours in advance.

In honor of the day of St. Valentine...

WHOSE MIRACLES INCLUDE HAVING A BEATING HEART MADE OF PURE CHOCOLATE

...WE HAVE A TRIO OF DELIGHTS COMING TOGETHER THIS WEEK

The Chocolate:

First we have the Pralus Republique Dominicaine, a 75% cacao dark chocolate bar from one of France’s most respected chocolatiers. This bar combines the culinary expertise of one of France’s chocolate leaders, some of the finest cacao beans on the planet and an exclusive plantation and manufacturing plant. Pralus is one of only a handful of chocolate producers who roast their own beans and who have complete control over the process of converting raw beans (regardless of origin) into the bars on our shelves. Francois Pralus describes this bar as “woody, powerful, and slightly sharp.” I also get a lot of raw herb flavors like sage and basil.

The Cheese

Cabot Clothbound is from Cabot Creamery, one of the oldest cheddar producers in the United States. It is aged in the cellars at Jasper Hill for a minimum of 10 months. Made in the English tradition, the infant wheels are wrapped in muslin and brushed with lard before the being lovingly cared for and monitored for the better part of a year. The flavor is at once sharp and buttery, clean and grassy, and just a little sweet.

The Wine:

Handpicked, well matured grapes are macerated for 6 days before a double fermentation process. The second fermentation in stainless steel vats produces the bubbles. This is a dry, bubbly red that just sweeps the surface of sweetness. Cocoa, leather, and tannins give rise to pleasant dark berry and fig notes that give this wine depth. The bubbles are fantastic, creating beautiful pink foam and adding an altogether unexpected element to a great wine.

The Pairing:

Nothing here does what I would have expected, but they work together beautifully. The wine plays the sweet note, and is very light on the palette in relation to the other two players. The chocolate provides a grounding earthiness, and the cheese is salty and active, bridging the flavors between all three components. I tasted a lot of herbal and wood flavors like lemongrass and soft cherry wood. The chocolate becomes something else entirely in the presence of the cheese and wine, gleaming with naughty, leathery darkness. Likewise, the dry and complex winebecomes sweet and playful. Only the Cabot is even remotely predictable. Smooth, salty cheese, impossibly complex and faceted chocolate and utterly unique red wine is a three-way you don’t want to miss out on this Valentine’s Day!

During the holidays, the wide variety of gift options can be daunting. Let Pastoral make it easy for you: we've rounded up the Staff Picks for the Top 5 Must Haves this Holiday Season! Our staff is dedicated to the promotion of small batch, artisan products, and each of these gifts represents this philosophy. All of these gifts are available online and in our stores.

This Cheddar has a deep umami flavor with grassy, nutty notes. The cloth binding is a traditional step in the Cheddar making process that allows complex flavors to develop. It's perfect when paired with a robust whisky, such as Koval Lion's Pride (found in our stores), as a holiday treat.

Ames Farm is dedicated to producing their honey in extremely small, hive-based batches. These honeys are available in 2 oz & 9 oz jars with a special code that you can input to discover exactly which hive produced your honey!

Local confectioner Flora creates these fruity gems using fresh fruit found at Chicago's Green City Market. They go perfectly when paired with a variety of cheeses, including alpine, soft ripened and blue cheese.